Texas Longhorns LB Depth Chart After Anthony Hill Drafted in Second Round

The Texas Longhorns are officially on the board in the 2026 NFL Draft, as former linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. heard his name called in the second round on Friday.

The Tennessee Titans selected Hill with the No. 60 overall pick, making him the first Longhorn selected in this year's draft. Texas did not have a player selected in the first round on Thursday, marking the first time that's happened since the 2022 NFL Draft. The Longhorns have had six first-round picks over the past three seasons.

Though Hill missed out on that designation, he now begins his NFL journey after three memorable years at Texas. But what does the linebacker room now look like for the Longhorns?

Texas LB Room Features Some Big Names

Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Rasheem Biles scored a pick-six touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Though Texas fans have already known for months now that Hill won't be a part of next year's team, his official selection in the NFL Draft marks a good time to reevaluate what the Longhorn linebacker room looks like following his departure.

Texas has welcome multiple new linebackers to campus this offseason. Here is what the depth chart currently looks like:

- Rasheem Biles
- Ty'Anthony Smith
- Justin Cryer
- Tyler Atkinson
- Kosi Okpala
- Darius Snow
- Markus Boswell
- Rocky Cummings

The Longhorns made four additions at linebacker out of the portal with Biles (Pitt), Cryer (Florida State), Boswell (Akron) and Snow (Michigan State) along with welcoming in three true freshmen in Atkinson, Okpala and Cummings. That's a ton of talent, but also many new faces.

New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp admitted that the Longhorns lack a ton of returners at the position is somewhat of a concern.

"We only have one start, coming back at linebacker with Ty'Anthony, so that's a little bit of a concern," Muschamp said. "Just experience at that position, in a new scheme, in a new system, but, but again, I want to compliment the players about the buy in that they've had. But, you know, I've got concerns at all three levels, you know, but we've got some time to get through spring, and again, we've got to do a great job post spring of continuing to do a good job with our players."

It's expected that the Texas defense will be elite next season but it will be interesting to see how the team performs despite a lack of continuity at linebacker.

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